Make These 4 Emotional Health Goals in 2013

On your list of goals for 2013 (along with taking that holiday and dropping a few kilos!) don’t forget to add improving your emotional health. Psychologist Dr Mary Casey shows us how to create an amazing year ahead!

Planning to improve you emotional health I believe is the best goals you can set for the New Year. If we are emotionally stable and healthy we can take on the world!
Being an emotional wreck means that you are unable to cope. So if you have any emotional problems write them down and start setting your goals around improving them – here’s how:

1. Check out your workload

Are you burnt out? Are you working ridiculous hours? If so, you need to examine your motive for doing this. Quite often you are doing this for the wrong reasons. Working extra hard for a holiday for instance is fine because you can see a light at the end of the tunnel. If it’s for something other than making you happy, then think it over.

2. Do you overreact or always find yourself in dramas?

If so, examine what you gain from this. It may be that you are bored or feel lonely. Whatever the payoff is that you get from this, you need to make a shift in your thinking. You may not know what the payoff is, so you may need to ask yourself that question.

3. Observe your thinkingIs it positive or negative? If it is the latter, then begin to change it to being positive. You have a choice in this. Often we don’t think we do have a choice however we do and it is called free will. We can get stuck in a victim mentality otherwise.

4. Weigh up if you need some counselling

We tend to think of this as a weakness however if your emotional problem has existed for more than a few months you may need a hand to find some ways to get over them.
Are there people in your life who cause you stress or make you emotional? If so, they need to go! You need people around you who lift you up and make you feel good, not the other way around!

Mary has over 30 years’ experience in health and education and specialises in counselling and personal development. She is founder and CEO of the Casey Centre, a leading integrated health and education service with more than250 and 700 graduates a year in three centres across NSW. Visit www.caseycentre.com.au.